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GOLDEN — Gov. Bill Ritter visited Jefferson County on Dec. 10 to tout several employment initiatives in a speech at the Jeffco Workforce Center.

Three pieces of job-related legislation were briefly detailed, as well as an introduction to the state’s CareerReady Colorado certificate program, which provides prospective employees with job-credential documents.

Dakota Ridge’s wrestling team hit a nice stride in the final weekend of action before Winter Break, defeating Arvada in a dual and finishing 4-1 in the Mullen Dual Tournament.

At the Mullen tourney, six Eagle wrestlers finished with unblemished records, including 285-pounder, Jason Marts. Marts, who qualified for state at 189 pounds as a sophomore two years ago and sat out last season, is currently ranked third in his weight class by On The Mat rankings. Marts is 14-0 on the season.

He stood near the entrance to the imposing Denver City and County Building, about to be given a tour of its historic bell system. And the South Jeffco resident seemed far younger than anyone else scheduled to play the bells.

“He walked up to the building, and all these people are going through security, and he said, ‘I can’t do this,’ ” said his mom, Sandy Moore. “ ‘Just look how old everyone is.’ ”

Over the past 40 years, thousands of kids have enjoyed the baseball fields near West Elmhurst Avenue and South Kendall Boulevard in Columbine Hills. But few of today’s young players realize they are treading some of the oldest ball fields in South Jeffco, or that Columbine Hills is one of South Jeffco’s original neighborhoods.

Jim Kennedy, 85, looks back over those four decades and is thrilled that so many children have been able to enjoy the fields that he helped to create in the neighborhood that he helped to build.

A dip in the icy waters of Chatfield Reservoir on Dec. 5 turned out to be a very hot fund-raiser for Special Olympics.

The second annual Polar Plunge, a Law Enforcement Torch Run event, benefited Special Olympics Colorado by raising at least $85,000. The 305 participants, many of whom sported festive wigs and holiday outfits, brought in pledges for swimming out to a sign, touching it and getting out of the 34-degree-Fahrenheit water as quickly as humanly possible.